CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports & Special Saloons Thruxton 4th & 5th July 2026

BARNARD’S BIRTHDAY BONANZA BEFORE ELLIS EVOKES MEMORIES OF HAZLEWOOD HAMPSHIRE HEROICS
The CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons followed up their Scottish weekend in May with a visit to a venue very different in character to the busy Knockhill layout, the high-speed expanses of Thruxton. The series was part of the host circuit’s ’Thruxton Retro’ festival, which was running with a 1980s theme in 2026.

Preview: A season’s best 11-car entry was received for the two CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons races that ran alongside the SMRC’s Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons championship, with one race apiece being contested on Saturday and Sunday for the characterful machines. Headlining the special saloon entry, Andy Wilson has restored the ground-breaking DAF 55 V8 monster to a stunning standard and the 5-litre machine returned to Hampshire close to 53 years after the coupe set the first 100 mph lap of the high speed circuit by a saloon car. The DAF was in the hands of creator Tony Hazlewood when the benchmark was set in October 1973 and was in pursuit of Gerry Marshall’s ’Old Nail’ Vauxhall Firenza at the time. Car owner Wilson handed the keys to Matthew Ellis for the weekend and the rapid pilot would have his eye on the historic 100mph barrier. Steve Barnard returned to the series at Thruxton after missing the first two meetings of 2026 with a spell in hospital but the lowline Mk1 Escort took a double victory in the hands of substitute driver Myles Castaldini at the opening event on the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone in April. The BDG-powered spaceframe should be a contender for victory at Thruxton despite Barnard not having driven the circuit before. Also driving an Escort with a BD-series engine but with a steel shell this time, Stephen Primett dominated Class C of the Modified Ford Series during 2025 with his Mk1 after securing a dozen championship titles in its former Pinto-powered guise. The free-revving 1600cc BDA machine will provoke memories of some famous Escort special saloons of the past, such as Dave Brodie’s ‘Run Baby Run’, and will be a thorn in the side of the larger-engined devices. Marque collector Martin Reynolds owns multiple classic Fords and the Norfolk man wheeled out his mighty Mach 1 Mustang from his stable for its first competitive action with the Historic Modsports and Special Saloons. Further Americana would be fielded by Neil Vaughan, whose thumping 8.8-litre Chevrolet Corvette C3 would only be present on the opening day.

From the Modsport entries, David Morrison was the winner of the inaugural Doug Niven Trophy last time out at Knockhill in May, the restless Scottish circuit was taylor-made for his 1460cc MG Midget modsport but the Hampshire speedbowl may leave the little sports car gasping for breath as he made his first visit to Thruxton since 2018. That won’t stop Morrison getting his head down, though! Jon Ellison’s V8-engined TVR should enjoy the flat out blasts at the circuit but the Griffith’s short wheelbase may need its driver to hold on tight in the sweepers around the back of the Hampshire venue. Peter Baker had a fraught series debut at Silverstone with oil pressure worries aboard the wonderful Marsh Plant Aston Martin DB4 Lightweight and the ex-Gerry Marshall GT car ought to be right at home on the flowing track. Series stalwart Myles Castaldini debuted a recently-purchased Davrian Mk5 at the last Historic Modsports and Special Saloons event in Scotland and would continue the development of the 998cc Imp-engined coupe this weekend. Iain McBay was also out in another Davrian but his later Mk8 runs with 1700cc Ford power, his last race ended when he ran out of fuel during the second Silverstone GP race. David Brewis has campaigned a variety of machines in the series and the weekend would be his first meeting in a 1300cc MG Midget modsport.

Qualifying: The 15-minute session saw the CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons entry combined with the SMRC’s Classic Sports and Saloons as normal and ran at lunchtime on Saturday, A total of 21 cars took to the famously abrasive Hampshire tarmac and Matthew Ellis was eventually awarded top spot. The DAF had a transponder issue that saw no lap times recorded despite completing plenty of running but the V8 coupe was manually timed at 1:26.793 to drop onto pole position by over three seconds. Steve Barnard’s Mk1 Escort clone would join the wild DAF on the front row some 3.707 seconds down as its pilot made his first laps of the Hampshire tarmac and the BDG-powered Special Saloon was 0.727 seconds quicker than the third-placed David Morrison. The MG Midget modsport was well-suited to the long sweeps out in the country where maintaining momentum was key. Leading Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons entry Dean Clayton marked his second event in the championship after the Silverstone season opener with fourth place in the Mk2 VW Golf GTi. The German hatchback was just 0.168 seconds faster than one of the star performances of qualifying, the 1600cc Mk1 Escort of Stephen Primett in fifth. The fourth-fastest Historic Modsports and Special Saloons contender had changed the BDA engine‘s cambelt in the paddock before the session and would line up on the inside of the third row. Adam Kinmond’s Rover Vitesse from the Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons also booked a spot on the third row. A slight 0.221 seconds behind the SD1 was another V8-engined machine in seventh, the mighty Mach 1 Ford Mustang of Martin Reynolds from the Historic Modsports and Special Saloons. The avid racer reported a braking vibration on the muscle car and also had a spin at Seagrave as the East Anglian pipped John Kinmond’s Triplex Rover by the narrowest of margins at just 0.001 seconds. The diminutive Fiat X1/9 of Scot Alastair Baptie wound up ninth and alongside the little Italian sports car would be the beautifully-prepared Marsh Plant Aston Martin of Peter Baker. The 4.2-litre DB4 Lightweight had 0.377 seconds in hand from fellow Historic Modsports and Special Saloons entry Jon Ellison’s thundering TVR Griffith in 11th and another 0.696 seconds to Iain McBay’s Ford-engined Davrian Mk8 in 12th. Neil Vaughan’s big block Corvette ended the session in 15th, with David Brewis’ MG Midget looking a little smoky in 17th after oil seeped out of the rocker cover. Myles Castaldini qualified 18th with a litany of issues affecting his Davrian Mk5, including the 998cc Imp engine running out of revs very quickly and starting to run hot as well as a brake fluid leak and appearing to have no damping at the rear.

Race One: The opening CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons encounter took place late on a summery Saturday afternoon over 15 minutes duration. Fifth qualifier Stephen Primett pulled into the pits at the end of the formation lap after the clutch release bearing seized on his Mk1 Escort BDA and he also picked up a puncture on his way round. When the race got underway, David Morrison used his Hillclimb starting experience to burst through from the second row and lead off the line from Steve Barnard as Matthew Ellis bogged down slightly off pole but the DAF held onto third through Allard. Ellis reclaimed second through the Green left-hander before the pair were divebombed into the Complex by Scottish contenders Adam Kinmond and Ewan Anderson. Kinmond’s Rover got by both as Barnard got back ahead of Ellis, with the DAF losing out to Anderson’s MGB GT V8 as he kept the second Kinmond Rover at bay. Ellis soon bellowed past Anderson out of Seagrave before getting up the inside of Barnard into Noble as both sped by Kinmond. Unfortunately, the polesitter slowed at Village and pitted at the end of lap one after a broken exhaust mount on the nearside caused the pipe to drag on the ground. The Class MD Mk1 Escort special saloon of Barnard sized up Morrison around the opening laps and sped past the MG Midget up Woodham Hill into the lead at half distance, the Escort proceeded to pull away to victory by 15.877 seconds and give Barnard the perfect present on his birthday. The extension of Barnard’s lead was helped by the second-placed MG Midget cutting out with five minutes left, with Morrison damaging the splitter as he pulled onto the infield but the car fired into life again when he tried the button and rejoined still in second place. The diminutive MG looked like being caught by Dean Clayton’s Golf, the lead Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons runner, but the VW finished 2.951 seconds adrift in third overall as Morrison claimed Class MB with second. Clayton had slipped to fourth among the Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons on the opening lap before fighting his way back through. The two V8 Rovers of father and son John and Adam Kinmond finished line astern in fourth and fifth as junior put one over on his dad and the pair entertained royally as they slid their SD1s around. Jon Ellison caught and passed Martin Reynolds for eighth overall and third of the CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons behind Scottish championship runners Thomas Owen and Ewan Anderson despite a misfire on the TVR’s Ford V8, with all four involved in an entertaining dice. Reynolds reached the flag in ninth overall but the Mach 1 Mustang’s gearbox was on its last legs. Alastair Baptie’s little Fiat X1/9 from the Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons completed the top ten. In 11th, Iain McBay took the Class MC spoils with his Davrian Mk8 as Neil Vaughan finished 12th at the opposite end of the size spectrum with his Chevrolet Corvette C3. A total of five Historic Modsports and Special Saloons wouldn’t greet the chequered flag, with two other pit callers in addition to Primett’s Escort and Ellis’ DAF. Myles Castaldini noticed the Davrian’s engine temperature creeping up and pulled off before any problems started, whilst Peter Baker’s Aston Martin succumbed to fuel pressure woes after giving chase to McBay’s Davrian. David Brewis also failed to finish after his MG Midget frustratingly ran out of fuel in the closing stages.

Race Two: The second bout for the CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons was held on mid-Sunday morning before the thermometer had climbed past the heights reached on the opening day. David Morrison’s MG crept a little while under starter’s orders and got the drop initially but Steve Barnard powered into the lead by Allard, the Escort and Midget ahead of a clutch of five Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons led by Thomas Owen’s Peugeot 205. Then came the third Historic Modsport and Special Saloon of Iain McBay, just ahead of Jon Ellison’s TVR but the latter blew by the Davrian before reaching the Complex. The DAF of Matthew Ellis was up to ninth by the Complex, fourth by the end of the opening lap and was second a lap later as Morrison slipped behind Clayton. The DAF V8 didn’t waste any time reeling in leader Barnard and hit the front into Allard starting lap four. The spaceframed Escort of Barnard only fell a couple of seconds away from the DAF for the remainder, which was suffering from a top-end misfire and started emitting smoke from the right side in the later stages but held together to win by 3.851 seconds. The DAF’s best lap of 1:26.291 was faster than its pole time but a little short of the 1:24.60 target for Hazlewood's 100mph lap record, which just goes to show how mighty the time set in 1973 was. Morrison finished third on-the-road but dropped to fourth with a ten-second false start penalty applied so the top Scottish runner Clayton was classified third, the MG Midget having already been passed by the Volkswagen once before Morrison retook third ahead of his punishment. The Peugeot of Owen escaped from an opening lap clash with Anderson’s MG to pass both of the Kinmond Rovers to take fifth overall and third of the Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons from Adam Kinmond in sixth. Stephen Primett flew through from the back to break into the top ten on lap one before the BDA Escort grabbed ninth from Ewan Anderson's MGB GT V8 at Seagrave on lap two and gained another spot when Jon Ellison looped into a wild spin on lap three. Primett took seventh from John Kinmond at the Complex for what turned out to be the final time, with the chequered flag being waved a couple of seconds early. Jon Ellison recovered from his big spin early on through Green and treated the remainder of the race as a test session for the TVR Griffith as the combination finished in tenth behind Alastair Baptie’s Fiat X1/9. Martin Reynolds had looked into driving his Mk2 Escort after reporting that his Mustang’s gearbox was in poor health but the Mach 1 ultimately started from the back and ran the whole race in fourth gear before coming home in 11th. Peter Baker chased the American ’fastback’ for much of the distance and the Aston Martin finished 2.217 seconds behind in 12th. David Brewis brought his MG Midget home in 14th after a tussle with William Underwood’s TR7 V8 despite gearbox trouble, which turned out to involve a large hole and crack in the casing! Myles Castaldini and his helpers had rerouted the water system overnight and the undergeared Davrian made it home in 16th. Iain McBay’s Davrian unfortunately came back on a flatbed after its Ford Crossflow engine lunched itself towards Church, after a possible buzzing of the unit at the Complex, to bring on the early conclusion.

Tony Hazlewood Trophy: The fearless driver who set the first ever 100mph lap for a saloon car at Thruxton on the 28th of October 1973 was commemorated with a special trophy for the best performing driver over the two races. The High Wycombe man, who passed away just over a year ago aged 87, previously raced the ex-Doc Merfield ‘Fraud’ Cortina Mk1 V8 before building two of the best known Special/Super Saloons of the period in the DAF 55 V8, which was racing at the weekend, and a radical Jaguar ’XJ8’ in which the 7.6-litre Chevrolet V8 sat amidships beside the driver. The big cat was severely damaged in a fire but work is ongoing to make the beast roar again and a reunion with the DAF would be very pleasing to see. The first and second overall finishes for Steve Barnard made the low-slung Mk1 Escort special saloon car driver the inaugural recipient of the award.

Another former wartime airfield beckons next for the CHASE Equipment Historic Modsports and Special Saloons as the contenders head to Croft and the ‘Battle of Britain’ meeting on the 22nd and 23rd of August.